Best game of 2012, GTA 5 most anticipated?

Since first telling you about the upcoming GTA 5 trailer, we have noticed lots of interest surrounding Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto installment, this got us thinking about rival titles which are set to arrive in 2012 and whether it is already safe to say that GTA 5 is pretty much destined to be 2012’s game of the year?

We recently asked our Facebook buddies what games they were looking forward to the most in 2012, titles mentioned included Diablo 3, FFXIII-2, Counter-Strike Global Operations, DUST 514, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Metro: Last Light and PES 2013 – however one game stole the limelight – Grand Theft Auto 5. We were quite surprised to see now mention of Mass Effect 3 – were you?

If you check out the reception which other GTA games (and other Rockstar titles) have received it is pretty much safe to say that GTA 5 is destined for success – most previous GTA releases have received game of the year accolades from reputable critics, in fact we think if you ask anyone to list their top 20 games of the last decade a Grand Theft Auto release will get a mention, probably San Andreas.

So what other games could put pressure on GTA 5? Well, there is a lot of interest surrounding Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, BioShock: Infinite, Halo 4, God of War 4 and the next Medal of Honor (see here) – perhaps we have missed your most highly anticipated 2012 release – if so leave us a comment below.

Here’s some other games which deserve a mention: Twisted Metal, Overstrike, Treyarch’s next CoD installment, Max Payne 3 and Far Cry 3 (if it arrives in 2012).

Do you think that GTA V has its work cut out to be a game of the year contender? Or are you confident that the game will deliver above and beyond your greatest expectations?